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Orc
The orcs are divided into the nomadic Plains Orcs who live in the Pale Grasses and the settled Western Orcs who live in the Redwall Desert. =Plains Orcs= The nomadic tribes survived on hunting, and the buffalo was their main source of food. These animals were the chief source for items which orcs made from their flesh, hide and bones, such as food, cups, decorations, crafting tools, knives, and clothing. The orcs lived in tipis because they were easily disassembled and allowed the nomadic life of following game. They also hunted other animals, such as elk or antelope, but buffalo was the primary game food source. The orcs would get many uses out of the remains of buffalo. They lived in tents made of the tanned skins of the bison. They dried the flesh in the sun, cutting it thin like a leaf, and when dry they ground it like meal to keep it and make a soup, seasoned it with fat. They would empty a large gut of the buffalo, fill it with blood and milk, and carry that around their neck to drink when they were thirsty. Orcs respected force and lived by taking what they need including supplies, slaves and valuables. They lived by the philosophy of "might makes right" and only followed strong leaders who showed skill in battle. Orcs have no permanent cities. All of their settlements can be picked up and moved within a day. The closest thing the orcs have to a permanent city is the fork of the river where the annual Bagron. Orcs view the "settled folk" as being too attached to one place and not mobile enough. Typical Orc Year The orc tribes followed the seasonal grazing and migration of buffalo.The typical year of many nomadic orcs began with a communal buffalo hunt as early in spring as their horses had recovered from the rigors of the winter. In Summer the scattered bands of the tribes gathered together into one large encampment, comprising most of the Pale Grasses, for the annual Bagron. In Fall the orcs would again split up into smaller bands to facilitate hunting to procure meat for the long winter. Between the fall hunt and the onset of winter orc warriors would often undertake a second round of raiding and warfare. With the coming of winter snows, the orcs settled into winter camps, passing their time, if the fall hunt had been successful, in ceremonies and dances and trying to ensure adequate winter feed for their horses. Beginning in the first century bsr the orcs often raided for horses and other goods deep into Mesorban Plains, sometimes venturing up to 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from their homes. Bagron The Bagron (meaning "meeting" or "assembly" in Orcish). The Bagron afforded Tars (meaning "leaders") to meet to make political decisions, plan movements, arbitrate disputes, and organize and launch raiding expeditions or war parties. Orcs would often settle disputes by making increasingly grisly threats until, when a rival failed to back down, the conflict escalated into actual bloodshed. Once every few centuries, a Tar would rise above all the others and unite the tribes to become the Tagar (meaning "Tar of Tars). It only then when the orcs poised a real threat to the rest of Gernon. Material Worth Orcs didn't believe in money, instead taking what they want through raiding. What material wealth or precious objects they did possess were acquired through raiding surrounding areas such as the Mesorban Plains or from raiding other orc tribes to take their plunder secondhand. The orcs did not so much function on the barter system, as the honor system: they frowned upon "trade" but honor the exchange of gifts, such as tribute. Many cities and towns decided that it was often less destructive to just give the orcs massive tributes in gold, finished products, and slaves, than to try to fight them off (though a orc tribe could still attack if they found the tribute insufficient, or if they just hadn't had a good fight in a while). Orcs would not reciprocate these "gifts" on an immediate quid pro quo trade system. However, they would as a rule keep their word to eventually give a gift which they had promised, though they would do it in their own time. In practice, however, if an orc tribe had a particular need for a resource that it could not obtain through direct raiding, i.e. new armor and weapons, they would resort to actual "barter" by trading slaves they had captured in return for finished products from cities. Warfare Due to their mobility, endurance, horsemanship, and knowledge of the vast plains that were their domain, the orcs were often victors in their battles against the humans and other races. However, although orcs won many battles, they could not undertake lengthy campaigns. Orc armies could only be assembled for brief periods of time as orc warriors also had to hunt for food for their families. Only under a Tagar would an orc army have enough supplies to last a campaign. Religion .]]The orcs followed no single religion. Animist religion was an important part of an orc's life, as they believed that all things possessed spirits. Their worship was centered on one main god, in orcish Magar Gongot (the Great Spirit). The Great Spirit had power over everything that had ever existed, and the orcs believed that by worshiping him they would become stronger.Blood was also quite important, as it is the medium through which one could contact the spirits. Spirits were worshiped daily. People sometimes prayed alone, while other times there were group gatherings. A major worship ceremony was held during the annual Bagron. There were also people that were shaman, or "blessed" in orcish. To become a shaman, your prayers must be answered by the Great Spirit, or you must see a sign from him. Shamans were thought to possess great power. One of their jobs was to heal people, which is why they were also sometimes called "medicine men". The shamans were considered so important that they were the ones who read the omens and decided when the time was right to hunt. Orcs believed that some objects possessed spiritual or talismanic power. One such item was the medicine bundle, which was a sack carrying items believed by the owner to be important. Items in the sack might include rocks, feathers, buffalo blood and more. Another object of great spiritual power was the axe. The axe was the most prized possession of any warrior, and he decorated it with many trinkets and trophies. =Western Orcs= Orc.]] The Western Orcs live in cities West of the Antax Mountains. Not much is known of them in the lands East of the Antax because contact with them is rare. Dalux is the main Orc city past the Redwall Desert. The Western Orcs often send outlaws and anyone unwanted to the Plains Orcs. The Plains Orcs refer to these emigrants as "Mongoton", meaning "The Unhorsed". Category:Races